New Year, New Opportunities

So this week began the start of a brand new school year.  The idea of a new school year can be both exciting and scary.  One thing is for sure the start of a new year always means there is a chance to start fresh and take on new things.  It doesn’t matter if you are a freshman or an upperclassmen, the start of a new school year means new opportunities.  Penn offers hundreds of student groups on campus, and it doesn’t matter what year you are in, anyone can join. There are engineering related clubs and things that have nothing to do with engineering and are just for fun.  There will never be a time again where you have the opportunity to choose from such a wide number of groups that are so accessible to you.  Now is the time to get involved.  Personally, I am beginning my fourth and final year here at Penn.  Despite that I only have one year left, there are still so many activities here at Penn that I am hoping to get involved with still and I recommend that you do the same.  

But school is not all about social and extracurricular activities.  I know and everyone here at Penn knows:  Penn is hard work.  However there are some things that you can do to make your semester a bit easier.  My first piece of advice is to make out a schedule for your upcoming semester, include everything you are involved on in that schedule.  This way you always have an easy way to know when you are free and you do not end up double scheduling yourself.  Second, set aside homework and study time.  It is important, especially in engineering where you will get a lot of problem sets to have designated time to do them.  Additionally, talk with your friends in your classes; see if you can coordinate study and homework times so you know you always have someone to do it with to keep you motivated.  Study groups are essential to doing well at Penn.   One last piece of advice is to talk with your professors.  If you have any issues in class, are struggling at all, or just think they are really cool, you should tell them these things.  Professors love to hear from you and want you to come to their office hours, that is why they hold them.  Get over your nerves and approach the professor, you won’t regret it.  I hope everyone has a great semester and don’t forget to get involved with something new this semester! 

Have questions for Elayna?  E-mail her at awe@seas.upenn.edu